Influenza Never Sleeps
by emif
Summary: One shot. Mister Specs is feeling a little under the weather and happens to be a horrible patient. Specs and Trapper fic.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Static. Static belongs to Mr. Dwayne McDuffie, Milestone, DC and WB. If I did Richie would have powers. Real powers.

**A/N:** I guess I lied to Chiru. A few references to her Specs and Trapper. Gelato is basically Mediterrean style ice cream. Its made differently with cream, milk and eggs as opposed to the egg free stuff of America. Also less rich than French ice cream which I kinda want. Its fairly common in association with Italy. Stracciatella is a traditional flavor, a vanilla base with strips of chocolate throughout. It was the closest thing to Fish Food ice cream that wasn't something I made up. Finally, I think I am officially addicted to the mundane. I just love writing about two men living together and arguing over groceries.

Another Specs and Trapper fanfic.

**Influenza Never Sleeps**

Mister Trapper woke drowsily in the middle of the night. He reached over grabbing his digital watch which was sitting on the nightstand and looked down at it. Three Twelve AM. He squinted and brought it to his ear. It wasn't broken. He couldn't imagine what had woken him. He sighed it off and rolled over trying to get back to sleep. He probably just woke up for some reason. It was unusual for him but not unheard of. He reached over to the other side of and bed then pulled up into sitting sharply. "Mister Specs?" He stared at the empty other side of the bed. He got up and quickly pulled on his pants that lay on the on the end of the bed. He was nervous to say the least. He didn't know what had woken him in the middle of the night and the absence of Mister Specs didn't help to quell his fears.

Trapper looked around carefully. His eyes still unadjusted to the dim light, he approached the ajar bedroom door and entered the mainroom. "Could you quiet down?"

Trapper jumped and turned around quickly. "Mister Specs, don't!!!" He panted and stared at his roommate slouched over on the couch wrapped in a blanket trying to keep warm. He must have woken him up. "What are you doing up so late?"

Specs groaned and sniffled to himself.

Trapper raised an eyebrow and approached his roommate. "Something wrong?" He asked stroking his hair. Trapper sighed. He was warmer than normal. It wasn't a sniffle. He was sick. "You have a fever, Mister Specs."

Specs snarled at him. Mister Specs was a notoriously bad patient. The type that no doctor should ever be forced to deal with. He was dominant personality and demanding at that. He was what most would call a 'backseat driver' and that included all areas of his personality. He hated being sick. "I'm fine, Mister Trapper." He said before seizing into a fit of coughing.

Trapper groaned. He was in for a long night. If he was lucky which was unlikely with the circumstances, he would make it through the night only completely physically and mentally drained of all stamina. It was best to lay down his authority now. To tell his charge that he had a bacterial inflamation and that he was not fit to dominate the situation. This is easier thought than acted on however. "Just lie down. I'll get you some water."

"I'm fine. Its probably just a sinus infection anyway, Mister Trapper." He said and dizzily attempted to get back to the bedroom.

Trapper caught him as he lost his balance and helped him back to the couch. "I don't know what kind of sinus infections you have but most people would call that a weak influenza, Mister Specs." He pulled the other man to the couch and gave him the blanket he had been using earlier. "Now I'm going to make you some... something."

Specs snerked at the idea. "You're a terrible cook." He said and tried to get up again only to have Trapper push him back to the couch. Mister Specs and Trapper's physical strength was weak for the average man on their best days and in his weakened state he had almost no physical endurance. It was more than simple for even Mister Trapper to pin the man. "Get off of me, Mister Trapper!" However Specs had more willpower than most. It was part of his charm.

Trapper moved off of him and looked around the room for his t-shirt. If his memory served him, it hadn't remained on into his entry of the bedroom last night. He was right and pulled the discarded article of clothing on as he walked toward the small kitchen. "Cooking is a simple imprecise chemistry, Mister Specs."

"And that's why its so sad that you can't manage."

Trapper snarled and snapped back at him. "Well its not exactly easy to do something with someone breathing down your neck."

"You're a liable fire hazard, Mister Trapper. I'm simply doing a public service."

Trapper chose to ignore that. He had only started one fire, one and Mister Specs had never let it go. Cooking wasn't that hard. It was simply heating various edible goods to kill bacteria or to create a desired chemical change that. It was the most basic of chemistry which had been done by common people and geniuses alike for centuries. However, somehow messing chemicals had always been easier for him than making a basic meal. Both of his parents were actually quite good at the science. His father could throw a meal together in a matter of minutes from scratch. He couldn't boil water. "I'll get you some water. How's your stomach?"

Specs didn't answer right away. "Why?"

"I'm wondering if you want some ice cream."

He hated when he did that. Ice cream was one of Mister Specs's weakness, more like a lactose meth to him actually. He tried not to eat much because of Mister Trapper's situation but it was so delicious. "Its fine." He wanted that ice cream.

Trapper opened the freezer and looked to see what they actually had. He knew that his father regularly sent gelato against his mother's wishes. He was overly generous with gifts like that. He pulled out the stracciatella and looked for a bowl.

"Don't eat any."

Trapper rolled his eyes as he pulled a bowl out from the cupboard. "I won't."

Specs tried to sit up straighter so he could see what Trapper was doing. "You know, I may actually have influenza and..."

Trapper was already over and put a hand over Specs's mouth. "Yeah and I'll handle it, Mister Specs." He said and put the bowl of ice cream on his lap. He pushed one of the computers that sat on a table by the head of the sofa over and set down a glass of water. "Drink your water. Your temperature could make you..."

"I know very well why I need fluids, Mister Trapper. I know more than the basics of biology and..."

"And so you should know that tyranny will get you nowhere when you're bed up like this."

Point for Mister Trapper. He was lucky that he loved gelato more than he liked vengeance, especially vanilla and chocolate gelato. "You do know that this will delay our latest plan?" Specs said as he started on his gelato. "I mean I can't really work on it and regulate a body temperature at the same time."

Trapper snorted at him. "I'm not letting you up until you feel better."

"Well I'm not letting you do it all by yourself."

Trapper glared at him. "I've worked on it just as much as you have and besides what's another week!"

Specs sunk down on the sofa recoiling a little. "Sorry, Mister Trapper. It is... wasn't that I did-don't trust you with it."

Trapper groaned. He tried not to get too frustrated with Mister Specs. It was important to remain calm with professional relations. Needlesstosay, their relation was more than just professional, not a good habit to have but keeping the workplace and the bedroom separate was important. Even if, it was over something as pity as some distrust because someone left the milk out or someone bought the type of soup that gave someone hives. It was important not to drag those things into the lab. However, Trapper was not an entirely selfless individual and suggesting that he was less intelligent or needed a babysitter to do his work never sat well with him. "That's exactly what you meant." He hissed at the other man.

Specs slouched more trying not to say anything else that was so bold. He didn't mean to be so tyrannical. He knew Mister Trapper was the most competent man besides himself for the job. "I still don't want you to work on it without me, Mister Trapper."

Trapper was about to snap again but stopped midway inhaling. Specs was paler than usual from the illness. His hair was limp from a combination of restlessness and sweat which made his glasses droop slightly. His cool blue eyes were a little bit duller than normal most likely from the fever. Finally, his posture was low and slouched recoiling into the sofa for support. He was in no state for a fight to say the least. "I won't work on it, Mister Specs but neither will you. Fair enough?"

Specs nodded weakly and tried to make himself comfortable. He felt chilled despite the fever and pulled the blanket up tighter.

Trapper picked up the bowl and kissed his friend's forehead. "Let me take care of things."

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Reviews are always loved. 


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